Ada Brownell's Blog, page 61

Interview with novelist Cara Putman about Shadowed by Grace

Shadowed by Grace, your latest novel, involves a unique group of soldiers dedicated to saving art and architecture during WWII. What got you interested in the Monuments Men?It was one of those God moments. I have deep respect and admiration for the men and women of the Greatest Generation, and I love telling their stories. Because of that, I’m always on the lookout for new ideas that will spark into a book. In the summer of 2010, I stumbled across a nonfiction book, Monuments Men, and was introduced to this small band of soldiers. Their stories captured me…and the art added a unique twist to the story. It became a story that burned in my heart to tell. Shadowed by Grace  focuses on some of the endeavors the Monuments Men undertook in Italy. I knew little of the Italian front and discovered a diary that gave voice to the Italian experience. That added with what I was learning about the efforts of the Monuments Men to save priceless monuments and paintings convinced me this was a story I wanted to write. Then I discovered the heroine and her search, and it became part of me. I love this story and am thrilled by the early reactions I’m hearing.Are you an art buff or was that something you had to become more knowledgeable in to write the story?I wasn’t an art buff until two things happened. 1) I took a tour at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It was the tour where they take you to four paintings. Only four! But those four were amazing. Then 2) I took art history in college because I knew I would fail music appreciation. Even then I knew myself well enough to know I was a visual learner rather than audio. So when I discovered the Monuments Men it tied into the appreciation I already had for the great masters whose works were scattered all over Europe. Add in the grand buildings and cathedrals, and I could see how important it was to make an effort to preserve them in the first war of widespread aerial bombardment. Introduce us briefly to the main characters inShadowed by Grace.Rachel Justice is a photojournalist on her way to Italy to cover the war. But she’s really there to search for the father she never knew. She’s surprised that her journey includes a search for love and a search for her heavenly Father.Scott Lindstrom is a museum curator assigned to the Monuments Men. He’s one of the elite group of men assigned the task of saving western civilization. In Italy the army didn’t know what to do with the Monuments Men, so his job was compounded and made even more difficult.Part of what makes this story so unique is the fact that the heroine is a photojournalist. Not only was photojournalism a new discipline at the time, but few women were allowed to see the front lines. What kind of challenges did that pose for you while writing the book?I wanted to create a unique job that a woman could have on or near the front lines. If she could be an artist in her own right, all the better. That made war photojournalist the perfect role for Rachel. I found it fascinating to research the women who filled those jobs. Everything from their dress to how they worked in the field had to be explored. Once I found a couple key books, it made it easier. But I didn’t know much about war correspondents until I started writing this book. It’s a good thing I love history and getting the details right.Which of your books is your favorite? Stars in the Night  would tie with  Shadowed by Grace .  Stars in the Night  was the first time I got to tell a fuller WWII story and it incorporate the glitz and glamour of classic Hollywood with a unique piece of WWII homefront history and a body count.  Shadowed by Grace  contains a piece of WWII history with the Monuments Men that fascinated me and it’s the first time I got to tell an international story, which has its own set of challenges.What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?I’ve always had a love for good books and stories. When I was a teen, my favorite authors didn’t write new books fast enough – now I understand why! But at the time I thought they should be able to write more books in a year, so I decided to try my hand at it. Life intervened after I’d started two books, but the desire to write never died. In God’s perfect timing, He resurrected the dream and gave me the green light to chase the dream again.What can we expect from you next?My next project is a Christmas WWII novella collection with Tricia Goyer andSarah Sundin entitled Treetops Glisten. I love Tricia and Sarah and their WWII novels, so it was a joy to work with them on this collection. We got on the phone and started brainstorming a collection of stories that would fit with the type of WWII novels we each write. “Should be near a big city but have a small town feel.” “Probably located in the Midwest.” “Needs war industry and a university.” I started laughing as I listened, because they were describing Lafayette, Indiana, where I live.It was fun to work in collaboration on everything from where they would live, to family timelines, to sibling order, etc. Writing is so often solitary, but writing this collection allowed us to step outside of that. Sarah came out in September to do some on-site research. Tricia will be here in February, so it will be fun to take her to the candy shop my heroine works at, drive her by the Turner home, and more.Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active in women’s ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at: her website, Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest, and Goodreads.You can purchase Shadowed by Grace, at Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Lifeway, and anywhere else books are sold.About the book:Rachel Justice is desperate to save her dying mother. She doesn’t want to leave her, but she accepts her newspaper’s assignment to travel to Italy and photograph war images. No one knows her photography is a cover and that Rachel is really seeking to find the father she never knew, hopeful to get some help with her failing mother. Dedicated to her mission, Rachel is focused on completing it. Soon, though, she finds her priorities and plans changing when she is assigned to Lt. Scott Lindstrom, on mission as a Monument Man. Their meeting will have far-reaching consequences. Will this derail her plans? Will she ever find her father? Is her faith enough to carry her through?

Cara Putman: The Birth of a Book Idea

PROTECTED: THE BIRTH OF A BOOK IDEAWhen a book is born, there’s a scary moment, hour, or week. As an author, I sit at the computer with the germ of an idea, a blank document page, and a blinking cursor. Somewhere, somehow, I have to find 90,000 words that will communicate a story that will captivate me…my editors…and eventually readers.And it all starts with a blinking cursor on a blank screen.Really it starts before then.A germ of an idea comes from somewhere.For  Shadowed by Grace , that spark came when I saw a non-fiction book at the library. All it took was the cover photo: a clearly WWII soldier holding a painting. As I read some of the stories of the Monuments Men, my imagination began spinning questions. What would it be like to be a sculptor, museum curator, or architect who joins the army to help protect art and architecture?Many of these men weren’t soldiers, but others had been in the reserves. Some came in as privates after basic training, others as officers because they’d already been in one of the services.Still a fascination won’t be enough to fill one page let alone more than 300 pages of a novel. But as I play with an idea, eventually characters show up. When a hero or heroine arrives, I play with them until I know what his or her journey will look like. With Shadowed by Grace, Scott Lindstrom showed up first. Once I knew who he was, I started developing a heroine who would complement and challenge him. I didn’t expect the book to become Rachel’s story.And eventually, if I come back to my computer often enough the story is written and makes it debut into print and e-versions. Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active in women’s ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You can connect with her online at:Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads.You can purchase Shadowed by Grace, at Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Lifeway, and anywhere else books are sold.About the book:Rachel Justice is desperate to save her dying mother. She doesn’t want to leave her, but she accepts her newspaper’s assignment to travel to Italy and photograph war images. No one knows her photography is a cover and that Rachel is really seeking to find the father she never knew, hopeful to get some help with her failing mother. Dedicated to her mission, Rachel is focused on completing it. Soon, though, she finds her priorities and plans changing when she is assigned to Lt. Scott Lindstrom, on mission as a Monument Man. Their meeting will have far-reaching consequences. Will this derail her plans? Will she ever find her father? Is her faith enough to carry her through?Read the first chapter here.

Faith, Murder, Mayhem. Great prizes to celebrate Lillian Duncan's new book Betrayed. Also, Devo Beauty for Ashes

BETRAYED
By Lillian Duncan
Witness Protection Program claims they can keep anyone safe if only they follow the rules so Maria follows the rules--every rule. She's given up everything--her friends, her family, her past, even her name to ensure her daughter has a future. Reborn as Veronica Minor in the sleepy little town of Sunberry, Ohio, she struggles to rebuild their life amid the beauty of her flower shop. A life where her daughter can have a happy normal childhood. A life where her daughter will never know that her father was a monster. When a child disappears, Veronica prays it has nothing to do with her past, but what if she's wrong? Not knowing who to trust, she trusts no one...and that's her first mistake.
BEAUTY FOR ASHESBy Lillian Duncan

 Beauty for ashes! 
This phrase comes up several times in my soon-to be released book, BETRAYED. In fact, I would even go out on a limb and say it’s one of the themes of the story. It’s not a secret so I can tell you, my main characters—Maria and her daughter—are in the witness protection program because Maria was betrayed by her husband in the most horrible of ways. (you’ll have to read the story to find out the details!)Betrayals hurt! I know—I’ve lived through a few. They were ugly and painful and nothing I would ever want to live through again. Unfortunately, even years later a word, a picture, a smell, or a song can trigger the memory and for a moment the pain still crashes in on me.That’s when I remind myself of this verse.  Beauty for ashes.  
In fact, if you choose to let them, betrayals can ruin your life.  If you choose to let them, but you don’t have to make that choice. You can choose to understand when someone betrays you that is about their character, not you and your worthiness as a person. Or you can get stuck in the past!  Stay angry and bitter and pitiful!  Not a fun place to visit, let alone live there!  Go ahead, feel the pain and the anger and all those other powerful negative emotions, but then let God heal you.He will!In my own life, God definitely kept his promise of beauty for ashes. He has given me the desires of my heart. I now have a godly, loving husband and I’m a published writer. God restored my life and gave me beauty for ashes. He will do the same for you.


Lillian Duncan…Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem.Lillian is a multi-published writer who writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net.  She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com  as well as her personal blog, Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com WOW: WHAT A PRIZE!To celebrate the release of BETRAYED, Lillian Duncan is giving away a virtual gift basket at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com. The virtual gift basket includes a copy of her books, SERENITY SPRINGS, OHIO; DARK ALLEYS; and GEESE MATE FOR LIFE.  Along with the books, a $25 Amazon gift card is included plus a few books from some writer friends. To enter the contest, simply hop on over to Tiaras & Tennis Shoes at www.lillian-duncan.com , leave a comment on the post titled CELEBRATION! Winner will be chosen and announced on February 14.

Your Future: IMAGINE YOUR MENTAL WEALTH

                                                                 By Ada Brownell
David, the same young fellow who killed the giant while Israel’s army stood by in fear, discovered Satan can trip up the best of us if we don’t look out. David wrote this after repentance for committing adultery:
“Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:10-11). God’s Word. A great download for our brains.
In contrast to educational textbooks, one interesting fact about the Bible is the message is never outdated.
We are able to put some beautiful things in our minds: scripture, good music, good information, a willingness to learn, a willingness to work, a determination to love, a determination to help, a determination to make heaven our home.
Although God’s covenant is etched into our hearts when we accept Jesus as Savior, we need to study good things that “Ca-ching!” profitable character. We’re told in the book of Timothy to study to show ourselves approved unto God, so we will rightly interpret the Word of Truth.
If we use our excellent knowledge of good things, our character and integrity grow. Our will becomes stronger. It’s like seeing a growing baby every day. He looks the same size if we see him often, but if we wait six months or a year, we see a big difference! And you and others will see a change in you when you put positive things you learn into action.
When we make good decisions, we become more mature, more trustworthy, more dependable, and our potential for doing great things increases.
Yet, we need to guard our minds because ungodly things we assimilate (even alcohol or an illegal drug) can do things we can’t fathom.
Could be like what happened to Joney, my sister Clara’s Chihuahua, a little darling dog who did tricks for Clara’s husband, Blackie. They would put glassless eyeglasses on the dog, and he’d sit up, take his front paws, and act as if he were reading a newspaper. He’d play dead when Blackie pointed his finger and yelled, “Bang!”
Jonesy did all kinds of tricks and received his hamburgers “made to order,” and a human cookie for dessert.
But one day he coughed, sneezed, and gagged all through the night. He wouldn’t eat, and he continued coughing, sneezing, and gagging for several days.
My sis thought Jones was dying, and she couldn’t bear putting him to sleep. Her son was fighting a war, and he was attached to the dog, too.
“We can’t let Jonesy die!” she said.
After about a week of the dog not eating, Jonesy gagged and Clara noticed something in the back of his throat. A long blade of grass hung down his throat and up through his nose. She pulled it out. Jonesy immediately got a drink of , ate, and lived for several years after that.
Sometimes a tiny amount of filth or ungodliness can give us great grief.
Students forced to read ungodly material can pray for God’s protection against their minds, but can ask for a substitute. Teachers usually provide something else, especially if the student comes with a respectful attitude and grades show he’s not trying to get out of something.
I asked for a substitute when Playboy owner Hugh Hefner’s biography was required in a college class. I didn’t want that garbage in my mind for recall.
We need to guard our mental wealth. We’ll reap benefits all our lives.
 
©copyright Ada Brownell 2013
Adapted from the book, IMAGINE THE FUTURE YOU. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

PEACE AND JOY FOR NEW YEAR DESPITE PERILOUS TIMES

True Rest in the New Year

By Emilie Hendryx
I have heard so many people say that 2013 was a difficult year for them. I'd have to agree and think, as I look back, that I am glad to be moving into a new year. As I look back, the thing I've chosen to focus on is how I handle being busy.
I am one of those people who can't say no. Can you relate? A need arises and I'm usually the one to say, "Yes, sign me up." Over this last year, this 'yes-mentality' has gotten me into more sticky situations laced with frustration than I'd like to recount. That, and my tendency to create things to do when I could take a few hours to relax, have caused my life to spiral into a hectic swirl of busyness and activity that hasn't always resulted in the spiritual or relational growth that I'd hoped for.
The other night I was reading through Matthew and came across these familiar verses:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV) Emilie Hendryx
I've read this passage before--even studied it--but being on the verge of a new year, these verses held a weight I hadn't anticipated. I have been laboring and heavy laden with many things, ministry and work-related. I have found myself burnt out and frustrated at times and desiring to escape from it all. But the thing I started to realize as I read the passage again was that I was trying to escape in the wrong way to the wrong thing.
The answer to my busy schedule and frustration isn't to get away to a magical land that holds no responsibly or constraints on my time. It actually has nothing to do with the situation I'm in, but rather everything to do with my heart.
Jesus says to come to Him.
He doesn't say to winnow your schedule down so you have lots of "me" time. He also doesn't say to focus on yourself to find the happiness and rest you desire. Instead, He tells us to take action to find that rest.
We must take on His yoke and learn from Him.
I think too often we idealize an existence of nothing, thinking "Oh, wouldn't it be great if I had nothing to do all of the time." That's not what true rest is. True rest is found only in Christ and only through accepting His burden, which He says is easy and light.
I challenge you in this new year to seek Him and nothing else. You may not be meant to change situations, but He will help you change your heart right where you are. Seek Him, and you will find true rest.
Emilie Hendryx
eahendryx.blogspot.com
MEET EMILIE
Emilie is a small town girl who moved to the big city. Now living in Los Angeles, she is a writer, photographer/owner at E.A. Creative Photography, and a musician.  She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers organization and loves to read and write Christian fiction in addition to writing her blog Thinking Thoughts.  She believes in doing all things for God’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31) and her passion for Christ fuels everything she does. She also likes spending time with the girls from the high school youth group she volunteers with and, in her free time, you can find her curled up with a book and a cup of coffee.She says, "I don't have a book to promote, just my blog: eahendryx.blogspot.com which is titled: Thinking Thoughts and is a great place for readers and authors. I feature author interviews every Wednesday and do book reviews as well as posts about writing and occasional practical, every-day theology posts."
Check it out and watch for her name on books.

CROSSREADS Book Blast: Win prizes, find great books

TITLE: CrossReads Book Blast: Serenity to Accept by Elizabeth Maddrey




Serenity to Accept
By Elizabeth Maddrey

About the Book
Karin Reid has never had much use for God. There's been too much pain in her life for her to accept that God is anything other than, at best, disinterested or, at worst, sadistic. Until she meets Jason Garcia.

After his own mistakes of the past, Jason is committed to dating only Christians. He decides to bend his rule for Karin, as long as she comes to church with him.

As their friendship grows, both will have to decide if they'll accept the path God has for them, even if it means losing each other.

LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK | LINK TO AUDIOBOOK
 

Elizabeth Maddrey

Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace.

Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey

Follow Elizabeth Maddrey

Website |  Facebook |  Twitter



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LOST AT SEA

A true story by Ada Brownell

Originally published Nov. 8, 1970 in “LIVE,” a publication of Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO

The airplane’s engine sputtered and died.“SOS!” the radio operator shouted. “Mayday! Mayday!”While he continued to cry out and static filled the air like a swarm of gnats, the B-17’s nose turned downward toward the sea.This was a confidential mission only a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Eddie Rickenbacker, one of eight persons aboard, was sent to inspect military bases in the Pacific Theater and to carry a super-secret unwritten message from the Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson to Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The General expected them in Canton at 9:30 a.m., but the navigator’s octant became damaged, and they were lost. The captain’s watch showed 1 p.m as the engines sucked the last drops of fuel. “Prepare to ditch the plane!” Capt. William Cherry jumped up from the pilot’s seat.Cherry, Rickenbacker, five crewmen, Rickenbacker’s aide, and Col. Hans Adamson grabbed rations and Thermoses of coffee and water. They and Sgt. Alex Kaczmarczyk, on his way back to his unit in Australia after an appendectomy in Hawaii, scurried toward the escape hatch.Rickenback tied a rope around his waist, stuck a map and important papers in his shirt.The plane collided with the Pacific Ocean with explosive force. Two life rafts automatically released. A third was inflated by hand as the men scrambled onto the wings. High waves reached for the men as they dropped into the rafts. “Where are the thermoses?”In the hustle, the water and rations were left behind.In about three minutes, the plane’s tail swung up, poised a moment, then slipped beneath the sea.Dark shadows circling the rafts proved to be sharks.Rickenbacker tied the rafts together with his rope. They found buckets, knives, oars, compasses, a pistol, eighteen flares, and two fishing lines on the rafts—but no food or water. Cherry had four small oranges. The men decided to eat one every forty-eight hours, in case they weren’t rescued soon.Rickenbacker warned against drinking sea water. “If you drink salt water, you’ll die. It’ll drive you mad with thirst!”They arranged two-hour watches. The night was miserably cold, although they were almost on the equator. Water splashed them continually. Rckenbacker wore a business suit and leather jacket, but others weren’t as well protected. Sgt. James Reynolds took off most of his clothes when he left the plane in case he would need to swim.At dawn, Rickenbacker was appointed to divide the orange. He carefully peeled it, being sure not to squeeze out the juice.“Let’s save the seeds and peel for bait,” suggested Cherry. They dangled the bait in the water, but the fish weren’t interested.Rickenbacker took out his map and the men decided they were northwest of Canton. The nearest land would be Gilbert Archipelago, held by the Japanese, and 400 miles away.After lighting two duds, that night they sent up a flare. The men waited all night for a plane. None came.The ocean rocked the crowded rafts day after day while the sun burned their skin and made sores aggravated by salt water.They ate the last orange on the sixth day. “I need water!” croaked Alex, weak from surgery, and repeated his plea often. The men knew if they were not rescued, all could face death.“Why don’t we gather for prayer?” asked Rickenbacker. Although he hadn’t been to church in years, he never went to sleep at night without praying. “I believe God answers prayer.”.They pulled the rafts together for a prayer meeting.  Pvt. John Bartek had a New Testament.  He read a Scripture, then passed the Bible on.  Each man tried to read something fitting. Voices quivered, but they weren’t ashamed. After that, they gathered for prayer twice daily.Not all believed, but that changed the eighth day. When the prayer meeting was over, Rickenbacker pulled his hat over his eyes and dozed off. A sea gull landed on his head. He awoke and slowly moved his hand until he grasped the gull’s legs. In minutes, the raw sinewy meat was divided and devoured, bones and all.They saved the intestines for bait. Cherry caught a mackerel and Rickenbacker landed a small sea bass.The men’s spirits rose as nourishment flowed through their starving bodies, but they were aware the gull miraculously landed right after their prayer meeting.Toward dark, the sky filled with rain clouds. The ocean churned, jerking the rafts against the lines that held them together. Lightning flashed .They took off their clothes so they would be ready to absorb rain water and squeeze it into buckets. But only sprinkles fell. They were on the edge of the squall. “Over there!” Rickenbacker pointed. “Get the paddles.”They put all their energy into reaching the storm. Rain washed away salt and cleansed sores. They rinsed salt out of their clothes then gathered water while the rafts jerked and swayed on the huge waves.Then Cherry’s raft capsized. Gasping, the men grabbed the hand lines while Rickenbacher and Bartek turned the raft upright. The men climbed back aboard.They lost one bucket, but the men went back to work drinking rain water and accumulating about a quart and a half of liquid.They decided on one-half ounce each per day.The rest of the fish was consumed the next day. Sharks carried away the lines before they could catch more fish.Alex suffered, and three nights later, he died and was buried at sea. The men wondered who would be next. Hans Adamson, a fair-skinned Dane, was a mass of saltwater sores and he’d suffered a back injury in the crash. Paralysis crept over his body and he apparently developed pneumonia.Rain came again a few nights later and they got enough water to have two ounces a day. But sharks tailed them. The sharks went after a school of mackerel and two mackerel jumped into the rafts, giving them another small supply of food.On the nineteenth day, Cherry sat up. “I hear a plane!”The plane came out of the clouds flying low and fast.  The flares were gone, so the men shouted and waved, but the plane flew on.The men decided, over Rickenbacker’s protests, to unhook the rafts to attract more attention. By now, Reynolds was unconscious and Adamson and Bartek were in such poor condition Rickenbacker had to pour their daily water down their throats.November 13, 1943, the twenty-fourth day, Rickenbacker dozed when Bartek pulled at his shirt.“Planes! I hear planes!”Two planes flying low passed over and kept going. Thirty minutes later, they came back. Rickenbacker signaled with his hat. The pilot smiled and waved back.One plane circled while the other, a U.S. Navy seaplane, landed on the choppy sea. “The others have been found,” said the pilot.It was forty miles to the base at Ellice Islands.  Because the enemy was in the area, they didn’t wait for the PT boat. Adamson rode in the cockpit, but it would hold only one man, so Bartek and Rickenbacker were tied on the wings.“Thank God,” Rickenbacker said over and over as they crossed the water.      All seven survived. Rickenbacker recovered enough by Dec. 1 to meet with General MacArthur.But Rickenbacker was not the same person who set out to see the General.  After his miraculous deliverance, which he told everybody was because of the grace of God, he no longer hesitated to tell others about his faith.
Ada Brownell tell another story about Rickenbacker in her book, Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal. http://amzn.to/Jnc1rWAlso, read Rickenbacker, Eddie Rickenbacker’s autobiography for more adventure and miracles.
©Ada Brownell 2012

The Christmas Gift I hated most

Our  great-grand-daughter, Layla with a doll she likesBy Ada BrownellWith eight of us children and I the youngest, many Christmases we had no gifts. But one year, probably while I was 4 or 5, I received a doll almost as tall as I was. She obviously was used because she had little cracks all over her hard "skin," even up into her molded hair. Her clothing, however, clean and new, showed someone made it for her, probably Mama. I hated that doll. I wanted a soft baby doll like I saw another girl have, with a bottle that you could fill with water, and when you stuck the nipple into the hole in the doll's mouth, the bottle emptied and the baby doll wet its pants. That big doll I had did nothing but stand up. Just a little growing up, and every time I looked at that doll, I was ashamed of myself--a selfish, unthankful kid who hated a gift given in love. I didn't like the doll anymore than I ever did, but I loved my parents more. I saw myself, probably as God saw me, and that did something in me.Perhaps it was the Christmas poem I was given to deliver at the annual church program.  The poem, titled "If Jesus Should Come at Christmas," touched me and although I can't remember the poem, I never forgot the message it delivered. Would I go to heaven with all that ugliness and greed in my heart? I learned to appreciate what Christmas really means.Yes, Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus, and giving and receiving is wonderful, but I learned as a child the Christmas story doesn't revolve around Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh, and Christmas trees, but the centerpiece is a lowly manger, an ugly cross smeared with blood, an empty tomb, and the scripture, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).But it's O.K. and wonderful to enjoy the lights, because Jesus is the light of the world. It's also nice to give gifts and receive them, because it brings joy all around. The Christmas music reminds me of that holy night when Jesus arrived as a baby and why there is Joy to the World.Yet, whether or not there are gifts under a tree, who we share the holiday with, it's possible to have a merry Christmas. Jesus came. He brought the gift of hope to anyone who will receive it, and that not only makes the angels sing, humankind has been singing year 'round since that day.©Ada Brownell Dec. 10, 2013

Parenting: Do your children believe God created the earth?

                                    By Ada Brownell
The following is an excerpt from my book, Imagine the Future You, a motivational Bible study for youth.Belief in God is essential to having contentment and success in our tomorrows, so along with other success tips and training in my latest book, I included evidence for faith in our Creator and the Heavenly Father who loves us.This is a section from Chapter Eight: Imagine God Changing Your Future.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dating methods are being challenged by some of today’s Christian scientists.
 The potassium-argon dating method, which dates the Earth’s age in billions of years, is said by scientists to be valid because of the amount of time needed to make evolution seem reasonable, say textbook authors Emmett L. Williams, a former metallurgical engineering professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and George Mulfinger Jr., a physics specialist (authors of Physical Science for Christian Schools). The radiocarbon dating method also is challenged by Williams and Mulfingers, who say it is unreliable because the calibration curve cuts off at about five thousand years ago and because the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere does not remain constant and appears to be continually increasing.
But suppose scientific dating is correct. It does nothing to undermine faith in God. Many Bible-believing Christians accept a very old Earth.
Often people try to make the Bible say something it doesn’t. The Bible doesn’t say the Earth was created in six twenty-four-hour days, although some people believe it was. Neither does the Bible say when “the beginning” was.
Here are some Christian ideas about the days of creation: Twenty-four Days of Re-creation:The belief there was a creation before Adam that was somehow destroyed. (This idea leaves a gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.) Age-Long Days of Creation : The belief that creation occurred over six different ages that could have been thousands of years in length.  Revelatory Days of Creation : The idea that the days had nothing to do with creation but with the amount of time God took giving Moses, the writer of the Book of Genesis, information about creation. Twenty-four-hour days of creation : The belief that God literally created the Earth and all that is in it in six twenty-four-hour days, as we know days.
So when Genesis says, “So the evening and the morning were the first day,” “The evening and the morning were the second day,” and so forth until God rested on the seventh day, the length of time can be interpreted several ways.
One thing that makes me believe in a young Earth is population. Scientists use the “population J curve” to show exponential growth of the number of humans. The “J curve” is any system that grows by doubling—one, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, etc., or geometric growth.
Experts estimate the world’s population was two hundred million in 1 AD and population continued to double and double until 1850—the curve of the J— when eight hundred million people lived on the Earth. Estimates and censuses showed two billion by 1930, three billion in 1960, four billion in 1976, five billion in 1990, six billion in 2002, and an estimated seven billion in 2011.
It took nearly two thousand years to quadruple the number of people from the time Jesus walked the earth but only eighty years for the population to grow from one to two billion between 1850 and 1930 and twelve years to grow a billion between 1990 and 2002. The US Census Bureau estimated the world population to be 7.073 billion in 2012.
 This increase is despite diebacks because of disease and epidemics, natural catastrophes, and wars. In my mind, there is no way man could have been here millions of years. Again, science uses millions of years to make evolution seem plausible because we can’t see any evidence for it in a lifetime of one hundred years. But the length of time that it took to create the Earth is not exceedingly important. What is important is that we know and believe Genesis 1:1, that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”The whole world’s scientific thought constantly changes and often contradicts what scientists thought was solid evidence. On the other hand, the Creator and his witness never change and will never be outdated.


Bob Jones University Press, Greenville, SC, 1974, 271.

IS YOUR FAITH SHAKEN WITH THE AGE OF THE EARTH?

                                    By Ada Brownell
The following is an excerpt from my book, Imagine the Future You, a motivational Bible study for youth.Belief in God is essential to having contentment and success in our tomorrows, so along with other success tips and training in my latest book, I included evidence for faith in our Creator and the Heavenly Father who loves us.This is a section from Chapter Eight: Imagine God Changing Your Future.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dating methods are being challenged by some of today’s Christian scientists.
 The potassium-argon dating method, which dates the Earth’s age in billions of years, is said by scientists to be valid because of the amount of time needed to make evolution seem reasonable, say textbook authors Emmett L. Williams, a former metallurgical engineering professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and George Mulfinger Jr., a physics specialist (authors of Physical Science for Christian Schools). The radiocarbon dating method also is challenged by Williams and Mulfingers, who say it is unreliable because the calibration curve cuts off at about five thousand years ago and because the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere does not remain constant and appears to be continually increasing.
But suppose scientific dating is correct. It does nothing to undermine faith in God. Many Bible-believing Christians accept a very old Earth.
Often people try to make the Bible say something it doesn’t. The Bible doesn’t say the Earth was created in six twenty-four-hour days, although some people believe it was. Neither does the Bible say when “the beginning” was.
Here are some Christian ideas about the days of creation: Twenty-four Days of Re-creation:The belief there was a creation before Adam that was somehow destroyed. (This idea leaves a gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.) Age-Long Days of Creation : The belief that creation occurred over six different ages that could have been thousands of years in length.  Revelatory Days of Creation : The idea that the days had nothing to do with creation but with the amount of time God took giving Moses, the writer of the Book of Genesis, information about creation. Twenty-four-hour days of creation : The belief that God literally created the Earth and all that is in it in six twenty-four-hour days, as we know days.
So when Genesis says, “So the evening and the morning were the first day,” “The evening and the morning were the second day,” and so forth until God rested on the seventh day, the length of time can be interpreted several ways.
One thing that makes me believe in a young Earth is population. Scientists use the “population J curve” to show exponential growth of the number of humans. The “J curve” is any system that grows by doubling—one, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, etc., or geometric growth.
Experts estimate the world’s population was two hundred million in 1 AD and population continued to double and double until 1850—the curve of the J— when eight hundred million people lived on the Earth. Estimates and censuses showed two billion by 1930, three billion in 1960, four billion in 1976, five billion in 1990, six billion in 2002, and an estimated seven billion in 2011.
It took nearly two thousand years to quadruple the number of people from the time Jesus walked the earth but only eighty years for the population to grow from one to two billion between 1850 and 1930 and twelve years to grow a billion between 1990 and 2002. The US Census Bureau estimated the world population to be 7.073 billion in 2012.
 This increase is despite diebacks because of disease and epidemics, natural catastrophes, and wars. In my mind, there is no way man could have been here millions of years. Again, science uses millions of years to make evolution seem plausible because we can’t see any evidence for it in a lifetime of one hundred years. But the length of time that it took to create the Earth is not exceedingly important. What is important is that we know and believe Genesis 1:1, that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”The whole world’s scientific thought constantly changes and often contradicts what scientists thought was solid evidence. On the other hand, the Creator and his witness never change and will never be outdated.

Bob Jones University Press, Greenville, SC, 1974, 271.